


I'll Be By Your Side

by dragonbug



Series: Bullet Point Stories [4]
Category: Batman - All Media Types, Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Damian Wayne is Bad at Feelings, Damian Wayne is Robin, F/M, I promise, Maribat March, Marinette Dupain-Cheng is Ladybug, Oblivious Marinette Dupain-Cheng, eleanor start writing actual fics challenge, i'll turn it into a real fic at some point, prompt: first time, reverse love square, these two are literally idiots, this is a bullet point story
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-03-10
Updated: 2021-03-10
Packaged: 2021-03-16 22:16:02
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,829
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29956707
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/dragonbug/pseuds/dragonbug
Summary: After Hawkmoth's defeat, Marinette travels to Gotham in order to help heal the city of the negative energy that's been residing there for over a century. Not long after her and Damian's first meeting, Damian starts developing feelings for her. The only problem: Marinette likes Robin.For Maribat March Day 2: First Time. A story written in bullet points.
Relationships: Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir/Jonathan Kent, Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug/Damian Wayne
Series: Bullet Point Stories [4]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2189919
Comments: 2
Kudos: 65
Collections: Maribat March





	I'll Be By Your Side

  * when they first met on the streets of gotham, marinette decked him
  * ~~haha whoops~~
  * damian developed a ‘crush’ (according to his brothers ~~and jon~~ ) on her not long afterward
  * not long after robin and marinette first met, ladybug started working with the bats
  * ~~but they never revealed identities~~
  * ladybug enjoyed working with a larger team, especially now that she wasn’t the one in charge



  * the stress and weight that constantly hovered over her shoulders in paris was gone
  * on patrol, she was almost always paired with robin
  * (she was a new person they didn’t quite trust and damian would be the least likely to let his guard down. also, they were around the same age so maybe they could be friends???)
  * ~~wishful thinking dick~~
  * it worked (kinda)
  * robin refuses to admit they were friends but became really protective of her
  * ~~she reminded him of marinette~~
  * ladybug treated him differently than the other heroes did
  * she didn’t treat him like a loose cannon, a killer
  * she never reminded him to hold back
  * for some reason he never had to hold back around her, just being in her presence calmed him down
  * the underlying urge to kill that had followed him around since early childhood started to slowly fade
  * at first only when he was around her but he eventually started to notice that even when he was without her he no longer felt the bloodlust
  * he felt more like himself
  * he always hated when she got hurt and would be grumpy and rude for weeks afterward
  * ~~he’s bad at feelings ok~~
  * but he definitely doesn’t think of her romantically
  * not on a conscious level
  * that’s reserved for marinette
  * at some point ladybug started having feelings for robin
  * blunt? protective? would always catch her if she fell?
  * check, check, and check
  * this was way worse than her crush on adrien because she actually interacted with him
  * she also refused to admit her feelings for damian
  * she wasn’t about to endanger a civilian
  * damian had the opposite state of mind
  * he wouldn’t allow himself to have feelings for another vigilante
  * he couldn’t let his feelings get in the way of his work
  * ~~also he didn’t want to risk losing her but shhh~~
  * shenanigans ensue
  * it’s literally just reverse(?) lovesquare but daminette
  * they’re idiots okay
  * damian tries to ask her on a date one day but he’s Very Bad at that type of stuff and asks too bluntly and marinette thinks he means as friends
  * ~~if marinette knew that she was becoming as oblivious as adrien during their middle school years she would absolutely l o s e i t~~
  * somehow adrien and jon end up coming with them
  * they go ice skating
  * ~~✨ p a r a l l e l s ✨~~
  * when adrien and damian separate from the others to go buy tickets adrien confronts him
  * “i know you like her. let me give you some advice”
  * “i don’t need advice”
  * ~~he definitely does~~
  * “let me tell you something she told me when i had ... similar struggles. always catch her when she falls.”
  * the entire time they’re on the ice both marinette and damian are blushing like mad because marinette is clumsy, damnit and damian won’t let her fall
  * one time he slips and they both fall over but damian makes sure she lands on top of him
  * if he holds onto her a little longer than necessary no one says anything
  * ~~besides adrien and jon at least~~
  * the entire time marinette is forcing herself not to Catch Feelings because she will not allow herself to put this man in anymore danger
  * she knows vaguely of his past and knows that he’s been through more than his fair share of Shit and she Will Not be adding on to it Thank You Very Much
  * at the end of the night adrien and jon exchange numbers
  * ~~only to talk shit about how stupid marinette and damian are for not Just Getting Together. definitely not for any other reason. nope~~
  * damian doesn’t start recognizing his feelings for ladybug until a few weeks later
  * the joker, the riddler, and the league of assassins are working on something together (somehow they’re getting along)
  * of course the whole plan starts to fall apart at some point because joker doesn’t take orders from anyone damnit
  * ~~“i have a reputation to uphold!”~~
  * not even this Very Scary assassin lady who offered him batman on a silver platter and a perfect escape
  * somehow in the chaos (where’s plagg when you need him), ladybug and robin get separated from the rest of the group
  * a combination of assassins and jokers thugs surround them
  * ~~they’re definitely outnumbered~~
  * “grab the girl. she’s the one we need”
  * “no!”
  * the assassins move to grab her but jokers thugs have other plans
  * while the league of assassins goal is to retrieve the Grand GuardianTM , joker’s thugs want to cause batman the most pain
  * at any cost
  * they move to shoot robin
  * ladybug dives to tackle both of them to the ground and out of the way of the bullets
  * ~~but she’s a little too slow~~
  * the assassins and jokers thugs get into some kind of argument and start shooting at each other and robin and ladybug use it as a means of escape
  * “are you okay?”
  * robins frantic
  * he knows she got shot but she’s not making much noise and he doesn’t see any blood
  * “i’m fine. the suits bulletproof and any damage from the impact will be taken care of when i cast the cure”
  * “wtf is the cure”
  * “uhhhhhh, right. i didn’t tell you guys about that. i kinda got magical powers”
  * side note: marinette hasn’t used lucky charm/miraculous cure at all while in gotham because-
  * A — she knows that batman and metas/magic-users don’t Get Along
  * B — it’s especially draining to use her powers in gotham because of the extreme amount of negative energy that resides there (which is the reason she came in the first place. Grand Guardian Business TM)
  * and C — she can’t bring anyone back to life unless their death was a result of miraculous magic (or anything stemming from that). which means that it wouldn’t work in gotham.
  * “you’re meta?”
  * “not quite”
  * she calls for her lucky charm
  * ~~a pair of ice skates~~
  * “wtf”
  * “don’t question it”
  * she leans on him until they catch up to the rest of the group
  * they’re all stuck inside some abandoned building (courtesy of the riddler)
  * ~~the riddlers joined this mess for Fun, for some reason~~
  * ~~also, he just likes causing problems~~
  * they figure out that there’s a key attached to the top of the roof but no way to reach it
  * there are no support beams on the roof to grapple/yo-yo up to and any attempt to climb the wall would set off some type of trap/alarm
  * ladybug detaches one of the blades from her spotted ice-skates and slides it into the split of her yo-yo
  * “how is that physically possible”
  * ✨magic✨
  * “don’t question it”
  * she slings her yo-yo up and cuts the tape holding the keys to the ceiling
  * ladybug calls for her miraculous cure and everyone’s injuries are healed
  * but ladybug looks even more exalted than before
  * her earrings begin to beep
  * now that she’s 18 her (now 10 minute) countdown only begins once she’s cast the cure
  * there’s a crash from behind them as they begin to leave
  * it’s talia
  * ~~of course it talia~~
  * “give me the girl and this won’t have to get ugly”
  * robin steps in front of her
  * “not a chance”
  * they all fight it out
  * ~~Group Therapy!!! :)~~
  * at some point, a group of assassins join them
  * one of them aims for robin and ladybug jumps to intervene and gets hit on the head
  * hard
  * she’s knocked out
  * when she wakes up a few minutes later robins hovering over her
  * “are you okay? how many fingers am i holding up? can you see clearly? is the light too bright?”
  * she sits up
  * “i’m fine”
  * “you were hit over the head hard enough to pass out you are most definitely not 'fine.’ you likely have a concussion. at least you are able to talk and sit up so that’s a good sign.”
  * the bats were able to handle the league while she was out
  * her earrings beep again
  * “i have to go. i’ll meet you at our normal spot when it’s time for patrol tomorrow”
  * “ladybug-“
  * “i’m fine. i promise”
  * “i’ll hold you to that”
  * she blushes
  * “of course you will”
  * nightwing looks baffled when he sees her swing away
  * “you’re just going to let her go? what if she’s more injured than we thought? we should have at least had agent a take a look at her”
  * “and he will. tomorrow. i think she needs a moment to herself before she sees us again. i’ll explain when we get home”
  * he zips off into the night
  * “can they stop doing that?!!”
  * damian definitely isn’t freaking out that night when ladybug doesn’t respond to any of the messages he sends her
  * he knows that what he feels for her goes beyond friendship but won’t admit that it’s in any way romantic
  * because he only has romantic feelings for marinette and if he likes marinette then he can’t like anyone else
  * ~~because he’s loyal damnit~~
  * she shows up to patrol the next day and apologizes to everyone and tells them about paris and the reason she’s in gotham now
  * “around 100 years ago, through events that are unclear to me, the universe was set into imbalance, and though it’s rectified now, Earth is still dealing with the repercussions. gotham was one of the places that was hit the hardest.”
  * “what do you mean?”
  * “don’t you feel the imbalance in the air? the destructive nature of the city and the negative energy that attaches itself to anyone who passes through? i represent creation and good luck. if anyone can help this city it’s me.”
  * ~~adrien had traveled to a small city in china that had the opposite problem. but it’s much easier to destroy and create negative energy than the opposite and he finished his travels long before marinette~~
  * this only made damian fall for her harder ~~~~
  * ~~not that he was ready to admit that~~
  * “that’s very noble of you”
  * “it’s my duty”
  * ~~he definitely didn’t relate to that~~
  * more love square shenanigans ensue
  * ladybug starts creating things for the batfam (but especially for robin)
  * damian starts bringing marinette coffees and pastries before walking her to her first class of the evening (she refused to take morning classes. she was an adult now damnit she was going to be in charge of her own schedule)
  * ladybug keeps putting herself in danger in order to protect robin
  * “at the end of the day, i have the highest chance of survival if i get hit. my suit is more durable than yours-”
  * “don’t think i haven’t noticed how this city is affecting you! every time you use the cure it takes up more and more energy. while your suit used to be completely bulletproof it now only fully protects your chest! the cure doesn’t work completely anymore! i know you go home with bruises we can’t see! how long until it’s more than bruises that remain? how long until your suit doesn’t protect you anymore? how long are you going to keep throwing yourself in danger in order to protect me?”
  * “as long as it takes, robin. i’ve had to stand by and watch my team die far too many times and i refuse to let that happen to you. this time i can’t bring anyone back. i _can't_ let you get hurt. you’re too important for that”
  * damian introduces marinette to his family
  * jason and marinette get on like a wildfire
  * he teaches her how to shoot a gun
  * “todd if she comes back injured there’s going to be hell to pay”
  * “relax kid, she’ll be fine. i’ll teach her the proper stances and we’ll use headphones”
  * “make sure you do”
  * “mAke sURe yOu dO”
  * “i heard that”
  * on her way home one evening robin saves marinette from being jumped by a rowdy group of drunk men
  * ~~not that she couldn’t have saved herself but he didn’t know that~~
  * after he tied them up robin takes marinette in his arms and brings her to the safety of a nearby roof to wait for the police
  * marinette's brain goes blank
  * ~~it’s robin it’s robin it’s robin it’s robinitsrobinitsr~~
  * “so... you come here often”
  * ~~damnit marinette! how did you say the Worst Possible Thing~~
  * “you could say that”
  * cue the most awkward conversation of their lives
  * suddenly marinette clams up like she used to when talking to adrien
  * she’s talking to r o b i n and she’s not ladybug right now
  * there’s no mask to give her confidence (and an escape)
  * just plain, old, boring marinette
  * and robins panicking because he’s Never Seen Marinette Blush This Much Before and he Doesn’t Know What To Do
  * ~~akdjfjslalkflaq they’re literally idiots~~
  * the police come and marinette gives a statement
  * robin takes her home
  * ~~his brothers made fun of him for weeks~~
  * a week or so later ladybug finds damian walking home from one of his classes and stops him
  * “i heard you had a pretty rough day yesterday. i just wanted to check in on you. dealing with the joker can be rough. do you want to talk about it?”
  * the bats (except robin) had saved damian from a hostage situation the night before involving the joker and a ransom demand
  * “i've been through worse. and nobody got hurt. that’s all i could ask for”
  * a brief conversation turns into something more
  * the feelings that they refuse to admit to themselves trying harder and harder to make themselves known
  * they shove their feelings down even deeper
  * “ladybug? what was it like. in paris? while hawkmoth was active. my ... friend, marinette. she lived in paris before she moved here. she doesn’t really talk about it but i know that whatever happened still affects her. i want to help her but i don’t know how”
  * he knows it’s a long shot, ladybug hasn’t said anything beyond what’s necessary to the rest of the team so it’s unlikely that she would open up to some random civilian
  * but she does
  * ~~they’re not catching feelings they’re not catching feelings theyrenktcatchngfeelings~~
  * time moves on
  * the city starts healing and being cleansed of its negative energy
  * but there’s still something ... off about everything
  * some bad luck that refuses to leave the dirt and grime of the city it’s called home for the past 100 years
  * ladybug and robin are on patrol when he sets the final steps of true healing in motion
  * “i want you to know who i am”
  * ladybug nearly fall off the roof
  * “w- what??”
  * “we trust you. i trust you. you’ve done nothing but help gotham the entire time you’ve been here. you don’t have to reveal yourself to me but- i don’t want to keep this secret from you anymore. it’s not often that i trust people like i trust you and i don’t want to ruin our ... friendship”
  * for the first time in a long, long time damian truly _**trusts**_ someone
  * “i want you to know who i am too. i trust you robin.”
  * “on three?”
  * “on three”
  * they turn their backs to each other and slowly count down, but when they hit one and take off their masks (or spots, in ladybugs case) they don’t move
  * marinette reaches blindly behind her to hold damian's hand in hers
  * she squeezes it
  * they turn around in sync and stare at each other, frozen
  * they both flush furiously
  * “of course it’s you,” they say together, “who else would it be?”
  * damian reaches forward and cups marinette's cheek in his hand
  * she leans forward and meets him in a passionate kiss
  * something in gotham shifts
  * the gloom that hovered over gotham for the past century began to dissipate
  * the corrupted energy that had found sanctuary in the crime-ridden city was no longer welcome
  * their need for air forced them to end the kiss
  * “did you feel that?”
  * the stars new-found glow illuminated their faces
  * _‘they’ve never looked so beautiful’_
  * “the negative energy is gone. gotham is gotham again”
  * damian couldn’t help but get lost in her eyes
  * she seemed so happy, and he knew that a large part of that was because of him
  * “what does that mean for us. for the team. the joker, the crime, will it stop now?”
  * “no. balance may be restored but the healing has only just begun. gotham’s been hurting for a long time and we can’t undo that in a single day. or a year. or even a decade. we’ve still got a lot of work to do.”
  * “and i’ll be by your side the whole way”
  * “i don’t doubt it”
  * for the first time in over a century, gotham had a night of peace




End file.
